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Tag Archives: knitting

So in amidst of cleaning, I finally sorted out my scrap paper box and got it organized. I think that is the second hardest thing to organized in my little art space. Stamps are still number one. However you will be happy to hear that I finished going through the wooden stamps and gave the ones that I don’t used anymore to my friend J. She really loves me now. But I digress again.

So last Monday, I picked up the scrap paper box as I have done before several times. Except this time, something happened. I pulled a muscle in my back. Ouch is right. So after my shower, I took a couple of muscle relaxers and the worst case with them, I ended up talking to furniture.

Well not this time, I ended up being sick as a dog for the next three days. Although I am kind of thinking that it might have been stress that made me sick. I have been dealing with stress of my boyfriend’s daughter health problems, orders and now with Halloween coming up. And the biggest stress is the upcoming sales in Bentley. As usual, I have that little voice in my head telling me that I don’t have enough. I know, I know, “Lesley, stop listening to the voices in your head.”

Finally Friday, I dragged myself out of bed and went out to pick up some rubber cement for mail art. My back is still sore, but very SLOWLY getting better. It is testing my patience again. And I can’t work on my cards or albums until my back is better because I am constantly bending down and picking up stuff. I can however knit and crochet so I am working on a scarf right now. But I want to paint and do some mail art. I know, I know, I am never happy.

I know it has been awhile . . . again since I last post. I have been still dealing with back problems and cleaning. This is my next big cleaning up project.

The clean stamps. I foresee a few slurpees and chocolates just to get through it. It is a complete mess.

Although a funny note is while I was sorting out my buttons, this truck button was stuck in this jar. I eventually got it out with a help from a friend. But still that question still remains, how the heck did it get in there if I can’t get it out. Good grief.

However I have participated in a few art exchanges. One was favourite quote on an ATC and we had to used a playing card. This was mine and the second one was the one I received from the exchanged. I went alittle overboard because I completely covered the playing card.

The quote is from Maya Angelou, “You can’t use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have.”

These two are birthday cards for my nieces. I cannot believe one of them turned 18, ghee, it didn’t seem so long ago when she was playing with Barbie.

I did do a delivery for Koda’s Kountry for Easter. And please excuse my big toe in the shot

The sale came and went. It wasn’t my best sale, but it wasn’t the worst. Unless you asked my back, and it will tell you it was. Sitting in that hard chair for over 6 hours, despite the fact, that I did walk around and go to the bathroom. But I think I might have strained it because it was still hurting two days later. And I was taking some pretty heavy painkillers. I don’t like taking those painkillers unless I am in really bad pain. And I was.

What did me in, besides the chair, was there was a booth next to us. The ladies were selling cards for a $1. And yes, you are reading it right. So who wants to buy a $3 card where there are cards selling for a $1 each. I only sold one card.

I didn’t sell any dishcloths which I was surprised.

Then again, last year, I had 4 cards for $6 and 3 dishcloths for $5. And with the cost of material going up, I had to raised my prices.

A from the store in Bentley was happy that I was actually raising my prices. It is hard to figure out of the prices on cards. Sure, I can figure out the cost of paper and stickers. But when it comes to ink or a stamp. How do I factor in those costs. Obviously, I cannot throw in the price of an inkpad on every card.

But she wasn’t happy about those ladies. She told me that she always tried to sit people who are selling the same craft across the room. Not side by side. And she couldn’t believe that they were selling their cards for $1.

But I did get a bonus. A gave me an envelope punch. I’ve been dying to get my hands on one, but they are like $40. So I am happy and been waiting for a time to try it out. Also to send a picture to J to make her jealous. Petty, I know. But oh well, blame it on the painkillers. The problem is waiting until my back is better. I am still make a couple of cards. Besides it is a good excuse to try out the punch, but I have to bring some to my hairdresser next week. And make one for J, the fellow cardmaker. So yeah, no pressure.

I have less than three weeks before the big sale in Bentley, Alberta. While everyone including my bf tells me that I am going to be fine, I am still freaking out. I have enough Christmas cards that my plastic bin for Christmas cards is completely full. I can’t put anymore in. I still have to make a few birthday cards and some bird cards. But I am still worried that I don’t have enough or no one is going to buy anything.

I know, I know, breath.

I am still planning to do the draw, but I can only do one prize. I didn’t get the shawl done in time, but the album is almost done. And if I do say so myself, it looks damn good. I am hoping to get it done this week and try to figure out of what to say.

I want to hand out tickets for customers when they make a purchase, but I do not want to give someone three tickets if they buy three dishcloths. It has to be purchased price. As well I am still trying to figure out of how to document the drawing and posting it on here. I am not technical person.

The big problem is that life got in the way again. My mom’s computer got hacked into so I had to help her out. Did I mentioned that I am NOT a technical person? Then I thought that I could move a table to get to plug in my charger. Notice the word, “thought”, you guess it, I was wrong. I ended up throwing my back out so that was just peachy.

So I missed a few days of working. I am hoping today to finish 5 cards, and a bear. No problem. . . . I hope.

In other news, I cannot remember if I mentioned this, but one of my hairdresser’s clients saw my cards and bears and offered to put them in her sales during the summer if I want. Of courses, I said yes. The sales went really good and I sold out of little bears. The only part that bugs me that she removed all of the care instructions of my knitted and crochet works.

Why would she do that? If I brought a scarf, I would like to know of how to wash it without the fear of wrecking it.

The good news is the money I made from the sales, I was able to treat myself to a color and purple highlights. I thought it would be nice to treat myself that didn’t involved chocolate, or yarn. I thought of getting a manicure, but I am so stressed out that I have been chewing my nails. So that is not a good idea.

Have you ever had a project where you are almost done? Almost as you need to do one more thing before you can call it done? And even though, that thing is so small, completing it feels like you are climbing Mount St. Helen?

That is what is happening to me right now. The cowls are done. And I’m thinking that I need to start looking for mannequins for my models.

I even knitted and crochet a swatch for each so the person can test it in her washer first. I made a couple of cute tags. Everything is done. The last step is deliever and right now, I feel like I am climbing a mountain.

I wish I could say it is weather or the roads are bad. That is why the delievery is delay. That sound reasonable, right? It has nothing to do the weather. It is became my cell phone needs a new battery and the store does not have it in stock and it is on order.

I know it sounds weird. The person who had order it lives outside of town. And if I run into trouble like going in a ditch or getting lost (whic is most likely going to happen), I’m in deep doggy do. Because I will not have cell phone to call for help.

The funny thing is that I remembered a time where I didn’t have a cell phone or wasn’t so depended on them. And I am not a technology kind of gal. I prefer using pen and paper instead of a computer. The only games I play online are solitare or the Smurfs. In fact, some of the games, give me motion sickness (I don’t know why that happens).

Now I feel like I am going through “Cell Phone Withdrawl”. When did this happen? When did I become addicted to my cell? I thought my yarn addiction was bad.